Indian girl who dreamt of fame hula-hooped her way into the record books
Since she was a child, Praneet Kaur (India) has had big dreams of becoming famous one day, and at age 11, she achieved that dream by becoming a Guinness World Records title holder.
Praneet comes from a loving family who have always encouraged her to follow her dreams, and with hard work and determination, she has succeeded!
On 24 March in Ludhiana, Punjab, India, Praneet broke the Guinness World Records title for most hula hoop rotations on a hair bun in 30 seconds.
By the time the 30-second timer ended, she had completed 86 rotations of the hula hoop around her hair, securing the title.
Praneet broke the previous record by 25 rotations. It had been set by Vaishnavi Shree. R (India) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India on 13 December 2023 with a total number of 61.
We caught up with Praneet to learn more about her and her record-breaking story.
She told us: “Since I was a child, I have always had a dream of becoming famous one day. Being only 11 years old, I never imagined that I would get such a wonderful opportunity so early in my life. When my gymnastics teacher at school saw my hula hoop tricks, she encouraged me to attempt a Guinness World Records title, and that really motivated me.”
Praneet’s hula hooping career began when she was only seven years old, as she saw hula hooping online and joined virtual classes. She started with learning the basics of hula hooping, like rotating it around her waist and hands. As time went on, she began trying more challenging tricks and joined a gymnastics class at her school to further her skills.
“I love hula hooping because it is fun, energetic and challenging at the same time. It requires focus, balance, and coordination. Every time I practise, I feel that I am learning something new and becoming better than I was before.”
Read about more people with unique talents in our Hobbies and Skills section.
The drive to succeed does not stop there for Praneet, as she is eager to beat another Guinness World Records title for most hula hoop rotations on a hair bun in one minute. The current record is 153 rotations, set by Jaimini Prashant Soni (India) on 1 December 2023.
Praneet explained: “I am really hoping that I can attempt the one-minute version as well and, with the same dedication and hard work, break that record too.
"Getting a world record is truly an amazing feeling. I honestly feel like I am on cloud nine! When I saw the email confirming that I had actually broken the record, I felt like I was in heaven. The first thing I did was cry because I just couldn't believe that I had finally done it. It took me some time to realize that my dream had actually come true. It was an indescribable feeling - something I will cherish forever.”
Praneet is keen to inspire children of all ages to follow their dreams like she did. She told us: “We are the ones who set our own boundaries and decide what we can achieve. When I first had this dream at the age of seven, I never imagined that it would take three to four years to achieve it, but I kept working towards it.
"We should never feel defeated by failure. Instead, we should cherish every defeat because every failure teaches us something and takes us one step closer to success.”
She added: “In fact, my journey of failing once and then achieving a world record has inspired me so much that I have also written a book about it.”
In Praneet’s book, she shares her own experience of attempting to break a Guinness World Records title. She opens up about how she never gave up and the pride she felt when she finally achieved her goal.
Despite already holding one Guinness World Records title, she isn’t slowing down! She told GWR: “I would like to say that every achievement begins with a dream and a willingness to try. There may be challenges and failures along the way, but we should never let them stop us. I hope my journey inspires other children to dream big, work hard and never give up on their goals.”
Has Praneet inspired you to attempt a record?